Peewee Hawks bound for NY

Peewee Hawks bound for NY

The Orillia Hawks Peewee B girls’ hockey team will participate in an international tournament in Lake Placid, N.Y. this week. The Hawks will play three games against American teams during a four-day trip to New York State.

ORILLIA - It’s been a backdrop for many unforgettable Olympic moments, and the Orillia Hawks Peewee BB hockey team will be looking to create a few more sports highlights in a few days.
The team’s destination is Lake Placid, N.Y. and the group of under 12-year-old girls, their parents and coaches are excited about the adventure that lies ahead.
On Nov. 15-18, the Hawks will be one of five teams competing in the Girls Under-12 Nagano Division at the 2012 Can/Am Challenge Cup, being staged at the New York state resort community.
“I’ve been there (Lake Placid) myself and I can’t wait to take the girls there and tell them about the whole history of the area and about the Olympics,” said Hawks coach Bob Babcock.
The 44-year-old Babcock was a veteran defenseman in American Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League. He also played briefly in the NHL with the Washington Capitals.
Entering the second week of November, the Hawks peewee squad has compiled a record of 4-3 and Babcock notes their losses have been by narrow 2-1 and 3-1 scores.
Babcock said this year’s peewee team, a mixture of new and returning players from 2011, has been a joy to coach, as the players are eager to learn.
“They all pay attention and they are like sponges. They soak up everything you give to them,” he said. “They try as hard as they can every game, and that’s all we want,” he noted.
Orillia opens tournament action Nov. 16 against the Plattsburgh Roadrunners from New York State. Later in the same day, the Hawks face the Saranac Lake Red Storm, another N.Y.-based team.
On Nov. 17, Orillia will play an afternoon game against the Ice Cats from Darien, CT and conclude round-robin action later that evening with a game against fellow Canadians, the Nepean Wildcats.
Since the start of the season, Babcock said the team has come a long way, in terms of both individual and team play.
He uses recent games against Orangeville to illustrate his point.
“We’ve played them (Orangeville) twice this season. The first time they beat us 2-1 and then in the second game we came back and beat them 2-1. That’s been the highlight of the season so far,” he said.
Planning for the Lake Placid tournament began last season, when most of the girls were playing atom hockey and Babcock was involved in coaching at that level.
Although the players were born long after the 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’ when the U.S. Olympic team defeated the Soviet Red Army squad in Lake Placid to win the gold medal, Babcock and other parents are looking forward to passing along memories of that magical hockey moment to the girls.
“I know some of the parents have already talked about Lake Placid with the girls and I’m looking forward to taking the girls to the arena and telling them all about that experience and what I remember of it,” said Babcock.